Nuclear Medicine Technologists Career, Salary and Skills

Nuclear Medicine Technologists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $101,370 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 17,080. Wage data is published for 149 locations.

Occupation description

Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Prepare stock solutions of radioactive materials and calculate doses to be administered by radiologists. Subject patients to radiation. Execute blood volume, red cell survival, and fat absorption studies following standard laboratory techniques.

O*NET code

29-2033.00

Job zone

3

Typical education

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

Experience

Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

National salary and employment

Median annual

$101,370

Hourly median

$48.74

Employment

17,080

Data year

2025

National salary distribution

$78,080
10th
$86,720
25th
$101,370
Median
$117,120
75th
$134,500
90th

Top skills

SkillImportanceLevel
Critical Thinking3.883.62
Active Listening3.753.75
Speaking3.753.75
Writing3.503.38
Monitoring3.503.50
Reading Comprehension3.504.00
Social Perceptiveness3.383.62
Science3.253.50
Coordination3.253.25
Service Orientation3.253.25
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Typical tasks

  • Develop treatment procedures for nuclear medicine treatment programs.
  • Administer radiopharmaceuticals or radiation intravenously to detect or treat diseases, using radioisotope equipment, under direction of a physician.
  • Detect and map radiopharmaceuticals in patients' bodies, using a camera to produce photographic or computer images.
  • Process cardiac function studies, using computer.
  • Calculate, measure, and record radiation dosage or radiopharmaceuticals received, used, and disposed, using computer and following physician's prescription.
  • Record and process results of procedures.
  • Produce a computer-generated or film image for interpretation by a physician.
  • Maintain and calibrate radioisotope and laboratory equipment.
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Technology

  • Electronic medical record EMR software
  • Gamma camera software
  • MEDITECH software
  • Medovation RadRunner
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Radiopharmacy inventory databases
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Nuclear Medicine Technologists salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

All 149 locations →

Related careers

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.